Of fasts and feasts

With a sizable settlement of Bengali community, the rituals of eastern India have blended in beautifully within the fabric of the city
For representational purposes
For representational purposes
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The festive season is finally upon us. Across households, you hear talks of family gatherings being planned amid the hustle of our household cleaning sprees. When it comes to food, there are two clear camps — one which fasts, and the other that feasts.

As Navratri, kicks off, food plays a critical role in the societal balance of festivities and preparing our bodies for the next season. Octogenarians in your family will tell you that the fundamental rationale behind the Navratri fasts is to take a break from the conventional diets and prepare our bodies for the typically-harsh winters of north India that follows this period.

But, Delhi is a melting pot of culture. With a sizable settlement of Bengali community, the rituals of eastern India have blended in beautifully within the fabric of the city. For this community, this is a period of revelry and feasting. The epicentre of these festivities can be found in the markets of Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park and Greater Kailash neighbourhoods.

Here, the bylanes are dotted with makeshift stalls selling bright red dupattas with golden gotas that will adorn the idols of the Durga. You see coconuts stacked up to the brim across stores, while the barley grain sits aplenty in baskets.

The beautiful blend of cultures does not divide each other in the festive spirit — in stores lined up alongside, you find barley seeds that are sowed by many households on the first day of Navratri and grown as a symbol of prosperity over these nine days.

Meanwhile, mithai vendors stack up on “no-onion, no-garlic” aloo tikkis, sabudana vadas, fruit chaats and more. Restaurants introduce Navratri-special menus with saatvik vegetarian thalis to draw in those who fast and abstain from richer courses.

The inclusivity, however, ensures that there’s also enough for those who wish to celebrate. Personally, I try to strike a balance of diet — switching between a light food-based regime in the first half of the day, and richer snacks and dinners of Bengali food through the latter half.

The south-Indian sundals, a staple of the Navratri fare, also find popularity at my household fare with my choice of variant being chickpeas and coconut.

Across NCR, restaurants seek to draw-in people through innovative approaches. Modern vegetarian outlets offer innovative courses to attract diners who fast through the day, and look for simple yet appealing dinners. An increasing focus can be seen on conscious eating across some of our city’s best restaurants — this is vital, since with an increasingly diverse and well-travelled urban crowd, the variety of offerings is important.

The Bengali fare, however, is best rooted in its traditions. The popular Bengali restaurant, 6 Ballygunge Place, now opened in Delhi, sticks to its traditional recipes and commendable attempts to recreate some items from old-school Bengali households.

“We strive to bring the recipes from Bengal homes to the forefront, to ensure that these are documented, especially the laborious vegetarian dishes from Bengal”, shares Aninda Palit, co-owner of 6 Ballygunge Place. But it’s not just restaurants that are in favour during this period.

At the Durga puja pandals, a full-scale mela is a popular sighting. For instance, Noida’s Sector 50 neighbourhood brings a gala affair at Saptarshi Sangha, presenting Bengali-forward snacking outlets serving rolls, chops, cutlets, bhajas (fritters), makhas (mixes) and more.

The goal is ultimately to celebrate the days ahead and take a much-deserved break from the stress of long work days. And food, invariably, is the cornerstone of every celebration. What makes matters even more exciting is that as the festive week recedes, Delhi livens up to welcome winter months — a period where the city turns into a hub of picnics and outdoor brunches galore.

For representational purposes
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